Generally, this invention relates to both apparatus and methods for an instrument support system for placement and positioning of various types of instruments, equipment, gear, machinery, paraphernalia, tackle, utensils, tools and the like. Specifically, this invention discloses devices to secure the position of the articulated components of an instrument support system during operation or during storage. Also disclosed is an instrument restraining collar adapted to hold a variety of instruments and accessories.
Instrument support systems having collapsible designs are well known for the placement and positioning of an almost limitless variety of items such as collapsible enclosures, cameras, chairs, musical instruments, microphones, clothing, sun lamps, liquid medications, and Christmas trees, to name a few. With regard to most collapsible supports, the collapsible support members have a limited range of travel about articulated couplings. Within the range of travel, articulated support members may be secured at desired positions for operation or for storage of the support system by some form of locking mechanism. Because there is a large commercial market for support systems, the manner of securing or locking the position of the articulated support members at a desired position has taken a variety of forms. In spite of the variety of supports available to the consumer, substantial problems remain unresolved with respect to providing a collapsible support having devices to secure the position of the articulated support members.
A significant problem which those in the field of instrument support systems face with regard to securing the position of articulated members is the wear and tear on the mechanisms and specifically the wear on the opposing surfaces which engage to substantially secure the articulated member(s) in a desired position. In many instances, the wear and tear on these mechanisms and surfaces is exacerbated by support system designs which translate relatively small discrete inherent and operational forces of the support system into a larger combined force which may be subsequently applied to a relatively small opposing force receiving surface area. As a result, the force receiving mechanisms and surfaces are prone to increased wear and failure rates. An example of this problem is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,479 where the inherent and operational forces of the support device are translated from the leg members to the inner ends of each leg member which is formed like a blade. All the blades rotate and engage upon a single opposed locking ring surface. As such, the locking ring bears a substantially non-vectorial axial force which is nearly equal to the sum of all the inherent and operational forces of the support device. A support with a similar force concentrating design is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,355.
Another problem with respect to securing the position of an articulated member is providing opposed engagement surfaces which cannot become disengaged during operation, or storage of the support system. Some support systems employ the use of co-axial components which slide into place to oppose the travel of the articulated member. Because such co-axial components are free to move, such components may move and become inadvertently disengaged with the articulated support resulting in failure of the support. Moreover, co-axial components as disclosed may not be suitable for supports which are inverted or moved from a vertical operating position. Examples of this type of co-axial component are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 730,062; 3,709,454; and 4,923,156.
Another problem that is frequently encountered in support technology are articulated members which are substantially prevented from further travel in a particular direction by engagement with another fixed opposing surface yet are free to rotate in the reverse or alternate directions. Typically, this is the case when the operational and inherent forces are used to push the articulated member against the opposing engagement surface but the opposing engagement surface does not positively lock the member in that position. As is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,526,380; 5,454,473; and 4,010,922, when the instrument support is in operation the articulated members are moved into engagement with a fixed surface by the weight of the instrument acting upon the articulated member. When the weight of the instrument is removed, by picking the support up for example, the articulated members may travel freely away from the opposing engagement surface. This free travel away from the opposing engagement surface may make the support less stable and more difficult to set up, use and store. An attempt to alleviate this problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,066 which uses a cam at the end of the support member to frictionally engage a fixed surface. This approach, however, does not positively lock the articulated member and may not prevent the articulated member from becoming disengaged from the friction surface. Similarly, at least one design maintains continuous pressure on tie articulated support members but does not lock them in the desired position as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 2,727,708.
Yet another problem with previous instrument support systems is the potential for damage to articles and injury to users that inadvertently become caught between the surface of the articulated member and the opposing fixed surfaces upon which they engage. As can be understood from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,010,922; 4,923,156; and 730,062 the user or other items can be caught between the upper end of the articulated member as it rotates about a pivot to engage a fixed base plate, thimble, or locking element. Similarly, as can be understood from U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,340,066; 5,454,473 the user or other items can be caught between the articulated member below the pivot point where the articulated member engages a base member or a hub piece. Alternately, as can be understood from U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,380 the user and other items can be caught in the shear created between the abutment planes and the bifurcated ends of the legs as they close.
Another problem with prior designs is that the articulated support members may simply come apart from the instrument support. As can be understood from U.S. Pat. No. 230,851, the arms may simply come out of the standard head during use and may fall upon the user or cause other damage. Similarly, as can be understood from U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,922 the legs may come loose if the support brace is deformed.
Still another problem with prior designs is the complexity of the design and operation. In some prior designs a spring is required in each leg to either urge the leg into engagement with the fixed engagement surface or locking mechanism. This spring is generally accompanied by an assortment of coupling hardware. If the spring breaks or becomes disengaged from the hardware the support system fails. In addition, the user must manipulate each articulated member in a separate step of pulling each member to overcome the force of the spring to operate or adjust the support system. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,744,536; 1,863,756, and 5,213,296 these numerous components and additional steps of operation may lead to failure of the instrument support and additional maintenance costs.
With regard to instrument support systems which include a yoke, a restraining collar or other features specialized to interface with other equipment, such as guitars as one example, many of the above mentioned problems apply. In many restraining collar designs the range of motion of articulated members is limited by engagement with another fixed surface but is not positively locked in that position. Examples of restraining collars which do not positively lock are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,610 and sales brochures from Hamilton Stands, Inc. (product number KB38), which show yokes which pivotally rotate to a fixed operational position but do not positively lock. A guitar is supported by hanging the guitar within the yoke by the guitar neck. On lifting the guitar from the yoke, the guitar may become jammed within the yoke because the yoke may rotate and stay engaged with the guitar. Another problem with previous restraining collar design include the lack of a storage position feature as disclosed by brochures from Konig & Meyer (model 175, 176, and 17660); and brochures from Monteleone Instruments (The Grand Stand). Still another problem with prior restraining collar designs is that they lack any manner of collar close to keep an instrument from falling out of the restraining collar. Yet another problem with previous restraining collar designs is that they do not integrate any manner of instrument peripherals holder for easily misplaced or lost items such as guitar picks, cords, lead ends, and the like.
A similar problem exists with regard to instrument support systems which include instrument support members. Existing instrument support members do not have positive locking designs as can be understood from U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,473 and the sales brochures from Quik Lok (model GS-412); Konig & Meyer (model 175, 175/1, 176/1, 17660); Monteleone Instruments (The Grand Stand); Hamilton Stands Incorporated (model KB31).
As to each of these problems of securing and locking the position of articulated members and for providing support of instruments and other devices, the present invention discloses technology which overcomes every one of the problems disclosed in a practical fashion.